PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Davide Fontolan (ranked 1937 p4p, 3037 weight class) and Frontino Melfighi (ranked 138 p4p, 201 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Fontolan
vs
Melfighi

163 cm
24
146
4 - 1 - 0

171 cm
25
142
4 - 3 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Very quick

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Davide Fontolan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Frontino Melfighi!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Roosa Järviläinen and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Melfighi showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Fontolan.
Fontolan lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Melfighi circles away quickly and effectively.

Melfighi clinches up with Fontolan and pushes him back against the cage.
Melfighi looking to slow down the pace here.
Fontolan tries for a takedown. No joy.

Fontolan wants the takedown. Melfighi is fighting it off but Fontolan persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Melfighi's guard against the cage.
Melfighi wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Fontolan manages to pass to side control.
Nice strikes from Fontolan there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Melfighi is trying to stand back up but Fontolan is controlling him
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Fontolan content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fontolan slips a nice elbow through Melfighi's hands, connecting with Melfighi's forehead.
Melfighi wants to get back to his feet.
Fontolan is taking a breather. Melfighi says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Melfighi wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Fontolan looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Melfighi with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Fontolan lands a nice short elbow.
Melfighi looks like he's trying to stand up.
Fontolan is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Melfighi really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Fontolan. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Melfighi looks like he's trying to stand up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melfighi moves to clinch but Fontolan breaks away
and Fontolan counters with a right hand to the body.
Melfighi scores with a leg kick.
Melfighi wants to clinch

and Fontolan counters with a nice double leg into side control. Melfighi won't be happy with that.
Fontolan working the ground and pound.
Fontolan lands some shots froms side control.
Melfighi seems a little lost for a moment, as Fontolan dominates the positioning.
Fontolan is putting a hurting on Melfighi here, landing some big shots from side control.
Fontolan just content to control the position.
Fontolan landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fontolan happy to just control the position for now.
Fontolan lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Melfighi down.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Fontolan lands a decent elbow from side control.
A lull in the action here as Fontolan stalls from top position.
Fontolan is putting a hurting on Melfighi here, landing some big shots from side control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Melfighi is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

Melfighi explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Davide Fontolan dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Melfighi misses with a head kick.
Fontolan half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Fontolan lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Melfighi circles away quickly and effectively.
Fontolan looks to land a combination. Melfighi sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Melfighi is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Fontolan.

Fontolan gets the takedown into side control.
Melfighi wants to get back to his feet but Fontolan is dominant here and he's now got Melfighi's back!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Melfighi trying to get back to his feet but Fontolan is in full control for now.
Fontolan has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Fontolan connects with a big shot to the side of Melfighi's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melfighi is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Fontolan lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Melfighi.
Fontolan is landing with strikes. Melfighi can't take much more of this.
Fontolan is looking to finish with some ground and pound!

Fontolan looking for the choke but no joy.
Melfighi is trying to get back to his feet but Fontolan has full control of the position and if anything, Melfighi has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Fontolan scores with some strikes to the side of the head there. Good, points scoring shots.
Fontolan biding his time, looking for the opening.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Melfighi is trying to stand back up.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melfighi trying to get back to his feet but Fontolan is in full control for now.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Fontolan connects with a big shot to the side of Melfighi's head.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Melfighi is trying to get back to his feet but Fontolan has full control of the position and if anything, Melfighi has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Fontolan throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting Melfighi!
Melfighi is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
Fontolan lands punches and elbows.
Fontolan keeps control of the position easily here as Melfighi tries to buck him off.
Fontolan is landing with strikes. Melfighi can't take much more of this.
Fontolan scores with some strikes to the side of the head there. Good, points scoring shots.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Davide Fontolan dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Melfighi fails with an attempt to clinch.
Fontolan went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Melfighi swings for the body but Fontolan moves out of range.
Fontolan looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Melfighi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Melfighi is looking to clinch.
Davide Fontolan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Fontolan keeps the fight on the outside.
Fontolan attempts a counter takedown but Melfighi avoids it well and moves away.
Melfighi swinging wildly here.
Melfighi does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Horrible takedown attempt by Fontolan or perhaps it was just good defense by Melfighi, which made it look bad.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Fontolan circles away from the clinch attempt
and Fontolan counters with a two punch combo.
Melfighi fails in his attempt to clinch.
Melfighi fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Melfighi wants to clinch but Fontolan slips to the side
and Fontolan counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Fontolan tries to bum rush Melfighi with a series of wild strikes but Melfighi uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Melfighi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Melfighi wants to clinch
and Fontolan counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Melfighi moves in looking to clinch but Fontolan pushes him off.
Fontolan works over Melfighi's head and body with a nice combination.
A head kick by Melfighi misses
and Fontolan counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Fontolan circles away from the clinch attempt
and Fontolan counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Melfighi tries to clinch up
enabling Fontolan to counter with a crisp jab.
Fontolan is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Melfighi can do to turn this around?
This has been an exciting period of action!
Fontolan moves out of range of the body kick from Melfighi.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Fontolan throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Melfighi was covering up waiting for the punch and Fontolan finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Melfighi wants to stand and escape but Fontolan is having none of it.
Fontolan sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Fontolan has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Fontolan's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Melfighi wants to get back to his feet but Fontolan passes into half guard.
Melfighi on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Fontolan is taking a breather. Melfighi says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Melfighi is trying to stand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Fontolan seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Melfighi tries to kick Fontolan off in order to stand up. Fontolan Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Fontolan works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Fontolan working the ground and pound from side control.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Melfighi can do anything to dispel that myth.
Melfighi is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
A lull in the action here as Fontolan stalls from top position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

And that's the end of the fight!
Davide Fontolan showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Fontolan, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:26
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Davide Fontolan!